Johnson Scraps Cheap Fares for Income Support Claimants

Some of the poorest transport users in London will see bus fares double after Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced the end of a deal with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company which allowed income support recipients benefit from half price fares.

Under a deal agreed by former Mayor Ken Livingstone London received a payment equivalent to 20 per cent of the price of fuel for the capital’s bus fleet. This saving was passed on to income support recipients – some of the poorest households in London – in the form of reduced bus fares.

A statement issued by City Hall this morning says Mayor Johnson has decided not to renew the current deal when it concludes this August. According to the statement Transport for London will continue to accept applications until August and recognise the discount beyond this date for a maximum period of six months.

The Mayor said “’I think many Londoners felt uncomfortable about the bus operation of one of the world’s financial powerhouses being funded by the people of a country where many people live in extreme poverty. I simply think there are better ways of benefiting Londoners and better ways of benefiting Venezuelans.”

“We will continue to offer the half-priced travel concession to
Londoners on Income Support for the duration for which the deal was
originally planned, and will continue to improve the capital’s
transport system and ensure that it is accessible and able to meet the
needs of all those who rely on it.”

The agreement was a variation of the one in operation between Venezuela and New York where the company supplies reduce prices heating oil.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme last August London’s Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy said the deal “enables us to cut fares even further in support of the least
well off Londoners, who now have even greater access to jobs, leisure
and all this great city has to offer.”

Mr Livingstone said the announcement was “a direct attack on the poorest Londoners” which “gives us a taste of what we can expect from the Johnson administration. Thousands of Londoners are being attacked by the Mayor of their city by this decision.”

The former Mayor said “Regardless of Boris Johnson’s objections to the oil agreement with Venezuela he has announced no alternative way to provide cheaper travel to the more than 80,000 Londoners on Income Support who benefit from the half price bus and tram fares. It shows that he is more interested in pursuing his right wing ideological agenda than improving the living standards of the most deprived people in the capital.”

Attacking the timing of today’s announcement Livingstone commented: “The fact that the first significant action by Johnson’s Tory regime is against the poorest people in the capital is highly significant as is the cowardly way he has made the announcement on Bank Holiday Sunday without any consultation with the organisations representing the thousands of carers, single parents and others affected and at a time when he can assume there will be less media coverage.”

“It is now clear that the Boris Johnson mayoralty means an attack on the least well-off Londoners. Following his decision to hand most of his Mayoral powers to a vicious trade union busting “slash and burn” expert, we now start to see the face which Boris Johnson was so careful to conceal in his election campaign.”

“The suggestion that Johnson is motivated by any concern about the people of Venezuela is just a lie shown by the fact that he is withdrawing all technical support and advice provided by London under this agreement.”

Sunday I was going out went to top up my Oyster card then about to get into a bus when I realized my pass was lost. I rang up TFL and ask if they could block my card from anyone using it. I was told that cheap fare end therefore I won’t need to renew my discount ID at the post office when my Oyster is replaced. I did not vote for Boris Johnson because I know Tory does not care for the poorer class, not saying any government cares, Ken Livingston is the best at least he has an heart for those who are less off. I have already spent £6.00 since Sunday, I am £3.00 short on buying my food now as before traveling two days would be £2.00 £1.00 going and coming back home.
How can someone earn £200 a week live if they have to pay rent, council tax, electricity, gas, telephone. TV License, bus fare £13 a week out of the above. Most time can’t have breakfast, lunch or dinner. One has to compensate for the other. Can’t see my way out of poverty. I can only eat two meal a week then pick around on what I can find to eat. Government speak about eating healthy who can do this living in England?

i cant believe how judgemental people can be yes alot of people on benefit need to get of there back side and get a job and there is nothing stopping half of them just like so many people claiming incapacity benefit and there is nothing wrong with them at all but dont judge all by those few
i am a single mum and have been since she was 10 days old my baby is three now i have no choice but to claim benefit and believe me i would rather not i would love to be out there earning my own money and paying my own rent however i have to try find a job that will pay the rent on a private rented property as i can not get anywhere with the council housing and am looking at ten years waiting list and they do not care that im a single mum and if i had to pay council rents i would have more of a chance to get a job and cover this. I have worked since the day i left school and paid all my taxes for the last 15 years and yes i am on benefits but not because im a lazy person who cant be bothered but also the fact is everyone says tax payers funding me no i am claiming back 15 years work of taxes i have paid.
as i said its so easy to judge but remember some people have no choice and also what seems like something so little to one is alot to another and wth the discount on the travel my little girl was able to the park more i could go see family more etc as it was not so expensive now we are back to how it used to be as we live so far away from everyone i need to get the bus just to get to a shop
i would like to see some people try support there family on what is given believe me being on the dole does not give you a easy life

Very interesting comments – but I’m afraid the same old arguments arising.
I used to be on benefits and now I work in a top tier investment bank (while it still exists!). I currently pay over £2500 a month in tax and I don’t begrudge a penny of it going to the people that need it most, because I understand what it’s like to live on benefits. It’s demoralising and only a very, very small minority actually want to stay on benefits. How callous and uncaring some of you are, and in fact self defeating.
A great man once pointed out that if the low paid are driven out of London, then who is going to do all the service jobs that London requires? The street cleaning, the maintenance jobs etc. These are vital to running the city and it cannot function without these people. I can’t wait to see my CEO don his Marigolds and get cleaning the toilets on Embankment.

This benefit was hardly a state handout, it helped the lowest paid to GET to work. Where is the motivation for them to work now? Why should they bother? It must be easier to go back to the dole rather than struggle through.

If you randomly cut benefits like this (as this administration has on several occassions) – based on political ethics (Chavez + Socialism) then the result will be MORE people on state benfits – not less. The consequences of this change was not well thought out by this administration. True to form they have made a BooBoo in that they have now narrowed their options to a choice of two.
1) Cut the travel subsidy and increase the state burden
2) Increase taxes to retain the benefit.

Had they looked into the deal properly then they could have altered it to fit their political ideals. Maybe the same deal with a ‘politically friendly’ country like Saudi Arabia or Iran. The Tories are happy to get into bed with those oppressive regimes as they are a million miles from the socialist Venezuala. At least the London poor would not have lost out.

With regards to Damian’s comments, the original deal may not have been perfect, and possibly would have cost the taxpayer in the long run – but that was there to be improved upon – not scrapped which is likely to now impact the taxpayer much more (albeit through stealth increases in fares etc.).

Thank you ‘TawkinSenz’.. You’ve summarised everything i wanted to say in defence of those that UNFORTUNATELY have to be a drain on the country and claim benefits as they have no choice!
I am in a similar position to Marie.. I’m a single mum with 2 boys.. My son’s school is only accessible by bus as the walk is a bit too much for a 4 year old.. I think those who are not claiming benefits have absolutely no idea how little income we receive to cover food, bills etc.. We’d be lucky to be left with £10 at the end of the week! .. I do not spend that income on ciggaretes or alcohol as i put my children’s needs first.. I, as someone mentioned above, am lucky to be able to have the ingredients to cook 2 meals a week for the 3 of us! I can’t afford to call for a Take Away or go out to eat like most of the people above.. I’m sure they’ll all jump in now in their defence and tell me to get off my moany backside and get a job to support my family as they as martyrs do!.. Unfortunately i would love to but i simply cannot aford to work! I would not be able to pay my rent let alone Food, Electricity/Gas or Childcare for my 20 month old! Some people really need to stop attacking those of us who have no choice but to live from handouts which, by the way, a mere fraction, if any, comes from your taxes! Why don’t you concentrate on how much of your taxes lines the Fat cats pockets or goes into building plans that are ridiculously high cost and useless!!